from: Bunki Kramer (bkramer@srvusd.k12.ca.us)
Los Cerros Middle School
968 Blemer Road
Danville, CA 94526
art webpage - http://ww2.lcms.srvusd.k12.ca.us/faculty/faculty.html
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Last summer I painted my front door "carribian royal purple" thsi summer
I'm
painting the railing and the trim around the garage doors the same purple.
And I AM the talk of the neiborhood, but that's probably the naked women I
have sitting in a chair in the garden! Peace Gabrielle ---

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Oh, this just takes my breath away! I would adore seeing your place! If
you're not a "purple" person, don't read any further....hee, hee.

I'm a purple person too...though I prefer to call my color
"Orchid"...(grin). I am a color person...my classroom is extremely colorful
but the one unifying color that sweeps the room is orchid.

A student's dad gave me his old beat-up architect flat files which are
humongous and I sponge-painted those two shades of orchid and put three
coats of sealent over them. (Remember my asking the list about a year ago
how this would work...if anyone had done it?) Well...it worked extremely
well. I put my huge paper cutter on it and many of the kids' supplies are on
it so it's been banged around and used quite a bit and there's been NO
chipping of the paint. If you have old file cabinets, this works super and
looks so much better. I put white handles on it and it looks really unique
and cool.

I also have one side of the wall under the windows covered in orchid const.
paper. The other supply table has the same orchid. I have orchid flowers in
another corner. I spray-painted a couple of large coffee cans orchid to hold
rulers, scissors, etc. I keep many supplies out in diff. kinds of baskets to
give warmth. I have alot of greenery around the room...fake and real. I have
stuffed animals out for drawing extra credit stuff. Cabinets are all warm
brown. I've got the best artroom in the district...at least I think
so...with floor to ceiling 20-ft. high windows which are actually sliding
doors which used to open out to the walkway outside. Lots of permanent
student artwork are really high up on the walls.

I've intermingled all this orchid around with ALL the other colors (alot of
yellow) and it looks so inviting. Wish you all could see it.

Now the bummed part. My room is 35 years old. Come October, my pod is going
to be mondernized down to the studs. They will move me to a portable with no
water for 4 months. They will strip my walls and put everything in
boxes....just when I've got my room totally the way I like it now!
The saving grace will be new sliding glass doors that will work!!! Yipee.

Here's the bummer part. Our school is being downsized drastically because of
home building that's going on in the south part of the district.....we're
north. I was scheduled this coming year to teach 3 art and 3 math classes
with no 6th graders receiving art. Parents met/organized to form an elective
Booster's Club to "buy" some electives...two of which are 6th grade art
classes...so NOW I'll be teaching 1 math and 5 art!!!! Yay!!!!!! That's
quite an honor for me from the parents because I'm not cheap due to my
experience.